diff --git a/drivers/of/Makefile b/drivers/of/Makefile
index e027f44..abcc08a 100644
--- a/drivers/of/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/of/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-obj-y = base.o
+obj-y = base.o util.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_OF_FLATTREE) += fdt.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_OF_PROMTREE) += pdt.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_OF_ADDRESS)  += address.o
diff --git a/drivers/of/util.c b/drivers/of/util.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5117e2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/of/util.c
@@ -0,0 +1,253 @@
+/*
+ * Utility functions for working with device tree(s)
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 Pantelis Antoniou <panto@antoniou-consulting.com>
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 Texas Instruments Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ */
+
+#include <linux/kernel.h>
+#include <linux/module.h>
+#include <linux/of.h>
+#include <linux/of_device.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
+#include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/errno.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
+#include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <linux/err.h>
+
+/**
+ * __of_free_property - release the memory of an allocated property
+ * @prop:	Property to release
+ *
+ * Release the memory of an allocated property only after checking
+ * that the property has been marked as OF_DYNAMIC.
+ * Only call on known allocated properties.
+ */
+void __of_free_property(struct property *prop)
+{
+	if (prop == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	if (of_property_check_flag(prop, OF_DYNAMIC)) {
+		kfree(prop->value);
+		kfree(prop->name);
+		kfree(prop);
+	} else {
+		pr_warn("%s: property %p cannot be freed; memory is gone\n",
+				__func__, prop);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * __of_free_tree - release the memory of a device tree node and
+ *		    of all it's children + properties.
+ * @node:	Device Tree node to release
+ *
+ * Release the memory of a device tree node and of all it's children.
+ * Also release the properties and the dead properties.
+ * Only call on detached node trees, and you better be sure that
+ * no pointer exist for any properties. Only safe to do if you 
+ * absolutely control the life cycle of the node.
+ * Also note that the node is not removed from the all_nodes list,
+ * neither from the parent's child list; this should be handled before
+ * calling this function.
+ */
+void __of_free_tree(struct device_node *node)
+{
+	struct property *prop;
+	struct device_node *noden;
+
+	/* sanity check */
+	if (!node)
+		return;
+
+	/* free recursively any children */
+	while ((noden = node->child) != NULL) {
+		node->child = noden->sibling;
+		__of_free_tree(noden);
+	}
+
+	/* free every property already allocated */
+	while ((prop = node->properties) != NULL) {
+		node->properties = prop->next;
+		__of_free_property(prop);
+	}
+
+	/* free dead properties already allocated */
+	while ((prop = node->deadprops) != NULL) {
+		node->deadprops = prop->next;
+		__of_free_property(prop);
+	}
+
+	if (of_node_check_flag(node, OF_DYNAMIC)) {
+		kfree(node->type);
+		kfree(node->name);
+		kfree(node);
+	} else {
+		pr_warn("%s: node %p cannot be freed; memory is gone\n",
+				__func__, node);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * __of_copy_property - Copy a property dynamically.
+ * @prop:	Property to copy
+ * @flags:	Allocation flags (typically pass GFP_KERNEL)
+ *
+ * Copy a property by dynamically allocating the memory of both the
+ * property stucture and the property name & contents. The property's
+ * flags have the OF_DYNAMIC bit set so that we can differentiate between
+ * dynamically allocated properties and not.
+ * Returns the newly allocated property or NULL on out of memory error.
+ */
+struct property *__of_copy_property(const struct property *prop, gfp_t flags)
+{
+	struct property *propn;
+
+	propn = kzalloc(sizeof(*prop), flags);
+	if (propn == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	propn->name = kstrdup(prop->name, flags);
+	if (propn->name == NULL)
+		goto err_fail_name;
+
+	if (prop->length > 0) {
+		propn->value = kmalloc(prop->length, flags);
+		if (propn->value == NULL)
+			goto err_fail_value;
+		memcpy(propn->value, prop->value, prop->length);
+		propn->length = prop->length;
+	}
+
+	/* mark the property as dynamic */
+	of_property_set_flag(propn, OF_DYNAMIC);
+
+	return propn;
+
+err_fail_value:
+	kfree(propn->name);
+err_fail_name:
+	kfree(propn);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+/**
+ * __of_create_empty_node - Create an empty device node dynamically.
+ * @name:	Name of the new device node
+ * @type:	Type of the new device node
+ * @full_name:	Full name of the new device node
+ * @phandle:	Phandle of the new device node
+ * @flags:	Allocation flags (typically pass GFP_KERNEL)
+ *
+ * Create an empty device tree node, suitable for further modification.
+ * The node data are dynamically allocated and all the node flags
+ * have the OF_DYNAMIC & OF_DETACHED bits set.
+ * Returns the newly allocated node or NULL on out of memory error.
+ */
+struct device_node *__of_create_empty_node(
+		const char *name, const char *type, const char *full_name,
+		phandle phandle, gfp_t flags)
+{
+	struct device_node *node;
+
+	node = kzalloc(sizeof(*node), flags);
+	if (node == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	node->name = kstrdup(name, flags);
+	if (node->name == NULL)
+		goto err_return;
+
+	node->type = kstrdup(type, flags);
+	if (node->type == NULL)
+		goto err_return;
+
+	node->full_name = kstrdup(full_name, flags);
+	if (node->type == NULL)
+		goto err_return;
+
+	node->phandle = phandle;
+	kref_init(&node->kref);
+	of_node_set_flag(node, OF_DYNAMIC);
+	of_node_set_flag(node, OF_DETACHED);
+
+	return node;
+
+err_return:
+	__of_free_tree(node);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+/**
+ * __of_find_node_by_full_name - Find a node with the full name recursively
+ * @node:	Root of the tree to perform the search
+ * @full_name:	Full name of the node to find.
+ *
+ * Find a node with the give full name by recursively following any of 
+ * the child node links.
+ * Returns the matching node, or NULL if not found.
+ * Note that the devtree lock is not taken, so this function is only
+ * safe to call on either detached trees, or when devtree lock is already
+ * taken.
+ */
+struct device_node *__of_find_node_by_full_name(struct device_node *node,
+		const char *full_name)
+{
+	struct device_node *child, *found;
+
+	if (node == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	/* check */
+	if (of_node_cmp(node->full_name, full_name) == 0)
+		return node;
+
+	__for_each_child_of_node(node, child) {
+		found = __of_find_node_by_full_name(child, full_name);
+		if (found != NULL)
+			return found;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+/**
+ * of_multi_prop_cmp - Check if a property matches a value
+ * @prop:	Property to check
+ * @value:	Value to check against
+ *
+ * Check whether a property matches a value, using the standard
+ * of_compat_cmp() test on each string. It is similar to the test
+ * of_device_is_compatible() makes, but it can be performed without
+ * taking the devtree_lock, which is required in some cases.
+ * Returns 0 on a match, -1 on no match.
+ */
+int of_multi_prop_cmp(const struct property *prop, const char *value)
+{
+	const char *cp;
+	int cplen, vlen, l;
+
+	if (prop == NULL || value == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	cp = prop->value;
+	cplen = prop->length;
+	vlen = strlen(value);
+
+	while (cplen > 0) {
+		if (of_compat_cmp(cp, value, vlen) == 0)
+			return 0;
+		l = strlen(cp) + 1;
+		cp += l;
+		cplen -= l;
+	}
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
diff --git a/include/linux/of.h b/include/linux/of.h
index 305b087..c38e41a 100644
--- a/include/linux/of.h
+++ b/include/linux/of.h
@@ -591,4 +591,63 @@ static inline int of_property_read_u32(const struct device_node *np,
 	return of_property_read_u32_array(np, propname, out_value, 1);
 }
 
+/**
+ * General utilities for working with live trees.
+ *
+ * All functions with two leading underscores operate
+ * without taking node references, so you either have to
+ * own the devtree lock or work on detached trees only.
+ */
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_OF
+
+/* iterator for internal use; not references, neither affects devtree lock */
+#define __for_each_child_of_node(dn, chld) \
+	for (chld = (dn)->child; chld != NULL; chld = chld->sibling)
+
+void __of_free_property(struct property *prop);
+void __of_free_tree(struct device_node *node);
+struct property *__of_copy_property(const struct property *prop, gfp_t flags);
+struct device_node *__of_create_empty_node( const char *name,
+		const char *type, const char *full_name,
+		phandle phandle, gfp_t flags);
+struct device_node *__of_find_node_by_full_name(struct device_node *node,
+		const char *full_name);
+int of_multi_prop_cmp(const struct property *prop, const char *value);
+
+#else /* !CONFIG_OF */
+
+#define __for_each_child_of_node(dn, chld) \
+	while (0)
+
+static inline void __of_free_property(struct property *prop) { }
+
+static inline void __of_free_tree(struct device_node *node) { }
+
+static inline struct property *__of_copy_property(const struct property *prop,
+		gfp_t flags)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static inline struct device_node *__of_create_empty_node( const char *name,
+		const char *type, const char *full_name,
+		phandle phandle, gfp_t flags)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static inline struct device_node *__of_find_node_by_full_name(struct device_node *node,
+		const char *full_name)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static inline int of_multi_prop_cmp(const struct property *prop, const char *value)
+{
+	return -1;
+}
+
+#endif	/* !CONFIG_OF */
+
 #endif /* _LINUX_OF_H */
